Category:Gems

Here are some of my favorite applications, utilities, and services. I prefer to use open source freeware so I can install them on all my PCs, but there are also a few very special ones that are worth paying for.

[edit] Free online

For free web applications, secuity, ease of use, compatibility and extensibility are infinitely more important than price. Only rarely does functionality make a huge difference. For example, Google Reader's user interface sucks, but it makes tagging and reposting easy. We can only hope they'll make it usable by humans soon (hint: look at NewsGator)

• flickr photo sharing
• Google search, gmail, google documents, calendar
• Plaxo: sync address book and calendar with Microsoft, Google, Yahoo!, mobile phone, and more
• NewsGator: free online feed reader
• MediaMax: free online storage and file sharing

[edit] Freeware

• TweakUI
• SwapMouseButtons: Single click to switch left-handed and right-handed mouse - great for VMs and remote control
• Firefox web browser
• IE7Pro adds features and tweaks to IE7, including inline ad blocker.
• 7-Zip open source file archiver
• CrossLoop Simplifies VNC screen sharing by enabling connection over HTTP without changing firewall or router settings.
• FileZilla FTP client
• Floola manages your iPod from any computer without iTunes (see: lifehacker review)
• PC INSPECTOR smart recovery recovers pictures, videos, sound files from deleted, formatted, or corrupted flash media (see: Redmondmag review)
• AVG Anti-Virus Free Edition
• Vista Web Fonts Cambria, Calibri, Candara, Consolas, Constantia, and Corbel
• Virtual CD-ROM drive that can mount ISO images: Microsoft's VCDControlTool, or MagicDisc
• Dimension 4 synchronizes your PC's clock with publicly available time servers
• Outlook add-ins: PocketKnife Peek for screening e-mail as plain text before opening it; SpamSource for spam reporting
• Ultra Thin no borders, minimalist, small skin for video playback in Windows Media Player.
• See also: Windows XP restore checklist

[edit] Worth paying for

• Passwords/Forms: RoboForm
• FinePrint virtual printer controls and enhances printed output
• Carbonite unlimited online backup at a good price